Fire Department

City Fire Department

CALLS FOR SERVICEThe Otsego Fire Department serves the City of Otsego and Otsego Township, as well as other neighboring communities by mutual aid agreement. In 2016, the department responded to a total of 622 calls for service, which was down significantly from 698 in 2015. The Otsego Fire Department responds to all types of fires, priority 1 and 2 medical emergencies, motor vehicle crashes, vehicle extrications, confined space & rope rescue incidents, ice & swift water rescues, and hazardous material spills. The department is proud of its ability to respond and meet the challenges of providing emergency services to the Otsego area.

The quality of the equipment, level of training, and available water supply allows the department to help property owners save money in the form of lowered fire insurance rates. The current fire insurance rating for the City of Otsego is 4, while Otsego Township is 5, which is very good for our size of community.

PERSONNELThe department is comprised of 30 members who are paid for each call to which they are able to respond. Members of the department are required to attend training sessions twice a month. The Otsego Fire Department is always accepting applications. Individuals interested in joining the department may contact City Hall or download and complete the application here or at the top of this page. Completed applications should be submitted to Otsego City Hall. Experience is not required, and if hired, training is provided. New personnel are hired after a lengthy process involving interviews, background checks, physical agility tests, and a thorough physical examination by an occupational medicine clinic at Allegan General Hospital.

The Otsego Fire Department and Rescue participates in numerous charitable activities throughout the year. We participate is safety days, raise donated funds to purchase additional equipment, and annually hold a Halloween candy check at the Fire Station. Tours of the Fire Station and fire safety programs are provided to children and school groups. Most anyone who has attended Otsego Public Schools remembers the fire safety program in October during Fire Prevention Month. Each year this program is provided to hundreds of school and pre-school children to help educate them about the dangers of fire. If you are interested in scheduling one of these programs, please call 269-694-4390.

Here are a short list of actions which can be taken which will allow us to maintain our fast response time:

Have large easily seen address numbers on your home that can be seen from the street or clearly marked at the street on your mailbox.

Keep fire hydrants clear of tall grass, brush or snow.

Turn on outside lights to help us identify homes quickly when possible.

Have someone wait at the end of the driveway to signal approaching emergency vehicles.